Thursday's surprise announcement that Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) would be taking his leave of that body and moving to a slightly different part of Washington, to run the Heritage Foundation opened up an unexpected power vacuum in the Senate. And, as the state of South Carolina was involved, it didn't take long before everyone realized that one of the first things to fill that vacuum would be the comic stylings of noted Palmetto State pretend-pundit, Stephen Colbert. (The way it worked was that first, everyone on Twitter made the requisite Alvin Greene jokes, before moving on to talking about the Comedy Central host's certain riff on the matter.)

On Thursday night's iteration of "The Colbert Report," already sort of a big deal as it was the last night of a week-long cross-promotion with the upcoming release of "The Hobbit," Colbert did not waste time bringing up DeMint's decision to quit the Senate and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's (R) responsibility to pick the next senator. In doing so, Colbert immediately made sport of the fact that the media had already spent the day anticipating his satiric response: "I'm not going to sit here and say I should be South Carolina's next senator," Colbert said, "Not when so many other people are saying it for me." (Including us, by the way.)

The upshot? By now several hundred members of Colbert Nation have already deluged Haley's Twitter account with their urgings, using the hashtag #SenatorColbert.

So, there's that! (Not to worry, as you'll see in the video clip, Colbert managed to tie everything back to "The Hobbit," because synergy.)

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not?]

Also on HuffPost:

Loading Slideshow...

  • Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 110th-112th Congress (2007-present)

  • Bill Frist (R-Tenn.)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 108th & 109th Congress (2003-07)

  • Tom Daschle (D-S.D.)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 107th Congress (2001-03)

  • Trent Lott (R-Miss.)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 105th & 106th Congress (1997-2001)

  • Bob Dole (R-Kan.)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 99th & 104th Congress (1985-87, 1995-96). Dole resigned from the Senate in June 1996 to focus on his presidential campaign.

  • George Mitchell (D-Maine)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 101st-103rd Congress (1989-95)

  • Robert Byrd (D-W.V.)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 95th, 96th & 99th Congress (1977-81, 1985-87)

  • Howard Baker (R-Tenn.)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 97th & 98th Congress (1981-85)

  • Mike Mansfield (D-Mont.)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 87th-94th Congress (1961-77)

  • Lyndon Johnson (D-Texas)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 84th-86th Congress (1955-61). Johnson resigned from the Senate in Jan. 1961 to take on his new role as vice president.

  • William Knowland (R-Calif.)

    (Pictured right) <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 83rd Congress (1953-55)

  • Robert Taft (R-Ohio)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 83rd Congress (1953). Taft died on July 31, 1953 and William Knowland was elected to take over on August 4.

  • Ernest McFarland (D-Ariz.)

    (Pictured standing, far right) <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 82nd Congress (1951-53)

  • Scott Lucas (D-Ill.)

    (Pictured front row, left) <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 81st Congress (1949-51)

  • Wallace White Jr. (R-Maine)

    (Pictured far left) <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 80th Congress (1947-49)

  • Alben Barkley (D-Ky.)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 75th-79th Congress (1937-47).

  • Joseph Robinson (D-Ark.)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 73rd-75th Congress (1933-37). Robinson died on July 14, 1937, and Alben Barkley was elected a week later to take over.

  • James Watson (R-Ind.)

    (Pictured second from right) <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 71st & 72nd Congress (1929-33)

  • Charles Curtis (R-Kan.)

    <a href="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#2">Senate Majority Leader</a>, 68th-70th Congress (1923-29). Curtis resigned from the Senate in March 1929 after being elected vice president.